Oscillating chair



- Mdy-ZG, 1942. J. HELLER OSCILLATIN'G CHAIR Filed Feb. 26, 1940 Patented May 26, 1942 UNITED STATES iA'lZiNT OFFICE.

Application February 26, 194%), Serial No. 329,362 In Canada August 5, 1939 4 Claims.

The invention in its general ambit relates to the suspension structure of oscillating chairs. More particularly the invention comprehends the application of an oscillatory suspension to a chesterfield chair and boxing the mechanism in the arms thereof, which not only conceals it from view but also protects persons from injury by the relatively moving; parts. According to my invention I produce a chair as a part of living room furniture that has the same appearance as a modern chesterficld chair, and which in addition is capable of oscillation.

The invention also comprehends the provision of means by which the chair may be rendered inoperative and maintained in a normal position when swinging motion is not desired.

The invention consists essentially in the novel construction and arrangement of parts by which a practical and serviceable oscillatory chair of the class described is provided for manufacture at reasonable cost.

A distinctive feature resides in the locking means by which the chair is rendered inoperative. Said means comprise a detent bar swingable between non-locking and locking positions with respect to a co operating part of the chair body. Said detent is supplied with a manual control by which it is held normally in disengaged position. In the preferred form, the manual control has a push-pull knob for its operation. variant form the operation of the manual control is effected by a turnable member.

The invention is illustrated wherein in the form in which it is at present manufactured and it will be understood that such changes and modifications may be resorted to as come within the spirit and scope of the claims appended to the ensuing description.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 illustrates a chair constructed in conformity with the invention, one of the arms being broken away to disclose the oscillatory suspension and locking means. In this View the preferred locking means is shown in its engaged position in which the chair body is retained against oscillatory motion.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the plane 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View detailing the above locking means in the disengaged position that it occupies normally.

Figure 4 is a view detailing the variant form of control for the locking means.

Figure 5 is a cross sectional View similar to Figure 2 but showing a slight modification.

Ina-

Figure 6 is a detail of one of the hanger straps shown in Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a sectional detail of a ball-bearing mounting at the lower end of the hanger strap.

Figure 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 of Fi ure 5.

Like numerals of reference denote similar parts in each figure of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals, the main chair body is generally designated by the numeral 6 and comprises a cushioned seat of the type common to a Chesterfield chair and a rigid back and side arms I and 8.

Each arm is hollow and open at the bottom. The walls are rigid or reinforced such as to render them substantially rigid for the purpose in hand, Advantage is taken of this hollow structure to house the oscillatory suspension for which the said walls of the arms serve as a boxing. The chair body is suspended clear of the floor so that it may oscillate freely.

The oscillatory mechanism comprises a base member 9 extending transversely subjacent the seat and connected rigidly with a pair of standards H), one of which is disposed in the chamber of each arm. The base portion of each standard has suitable feet as indicated at I l, and the head rigidly carries a horizontal bar 22 coextensive with the arm but terminated short of the front and rear thereof. The ends of this bar have a swivel juncture I3 with links M and I5 that suspend the chair body preferably through the medium of plates 16 and I1 fastened to the bottom wall of the seat and extending outwardly therefrom in the form of hooks that have a hook relation with the lower ends respectively of said links [4 and I5.

It will be manifest from this construction that the chair body is free to oscillate in a to and fro manner, and it will be obvious that if so desired means may be employed to limit side play and preclude wabbling of the chair body with respect to the base suspension and yet permit the chair body to swing freely in the path of oscillation.

The preferred lock means delineated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 comprise a detent bar 18 inclined rearwardly and upwardly from a pivotal connection is with one of the standards ll] of the base. The detent bar has an intermediate notch 20 or equivalent means adapted to engage the plate I! when the chair body is in a normal position whereby the chair body is retained securely against movement when oscillation is not desired.

race.

The detent is pivoted to the lower end of a connecting bar 2! likewise attached at its upper end to an arm of an arcuate bellcrank 22 pivoted at 23 to a bracket 24. The other arm of the bellcrank is pivoted to a push-pull rod 25 extending loosely through an aperture in the rear wall 26 of the arm and carrying an external knob or like member by which it is manipulated. The rod 25 may have a tooth 21 or analogous means to retain itin an outward position, as shown in Figure 3, whereby the detent is retained normally in elevated manner clear of locking engagement.

To look the chair body it is merely necessary to raise the knob slightly and press it inwardly so as to urge the detent downwardly to cause its notch 20 to engage the plate 21. In lieu of using the plate 11 as part of the locking arrangement, a separate element could manifestly be borne by the chair body; this and other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, Figure 4 shows a way of operating the detent by a rotary motion and comprises a connecting bar 23 linking the detent to an arm 29 of a journalled rod 30 having a handle 30' by which it is turned. When the arm is raised. the detent is retained in disengaged position by the offset upper end of the bar 28 which allows the arm to attain a dead-centre position.

In the construction depicted in Figures 1 and 2 it is necessary to employ some means (not shown) for guiding or steadying the chair in its oscillatory movement. Extraneous guiding or steadying means are dispensed with in the modification illustrated in Figures to 8 inclusive. In this construction I suspend the chair by means of hanger straps 3| provided at the ends with ball bearings of the radial type. Each ball bearing consists of a pressed metal outer race 32 having an integral lug 33 riveted or otherwise permanently secured to an end portion of the hanger strap. The outer race contains a single row of balls seated in a grooved inner race 34 of conventional type. The inner race at the top of each hanger strap is rigidly secured to the Vertical flange of the respective members I2 by means of a bolt and nut 35, of which the shank of the bolt is inserted through the bore of the inner Accordingly, the hanger straps are secured against side play, but are free to swing in the plane of oscillation.

The inner race at the bottom of each hanger strap is loosely inserted over an end of a thrurod 36 and rigidly fixed thereon by means of flanking nuts as at 31 threaded on the thru-rod. There are two such thru-rods, one at the front of the seat and the other at the rear, both of which extend transversely of the seat and project into the hollow arms of the chair. The thru-rods are secured to the seat in a manner to support the same and are desirably each lodged in a groove in the bottom wall 38 and made fast therein by clamping plates 39.

This construction has been found to be a decided improvement in the manufacture of the chair for the reason that the hanger straps with theirball bearing suspension points are sufficient to steady the chair against undesirable side play and have the advantage of providing a smooth and quiet oscillatory suspension.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a relatively stationary base, of a chair body, means for suspending the chair body over the base for oscillation relative thereto, and a locking device comprising a detent bar pivoted to said base and extending in the direction of oscillation of the chair body, said detent bar having a notch removed from the pivot point, a plate rigidly carried by the chair body for positive locking engagement by said notch, a connecting rod linked to the detent bar, a bellcrank mounted on the chair body and having an arm connected to the said rod, and means connected to the other arm of the bellcrank for shifting the detent bar between locking and nonlocking positions with respect to said plate.

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1, and in which means are provided to releasably maintain the detent bar normally in a non-locking position.

3. The combination with a relatively stationary base, of a chair body, means for suspending the chair body over the base for oscillation relative thereto, and a locking device comprising a detent bar pivoted at one end to said base and having a notch removed from the pivotal point, a plate rigidly carried by the lower part of the chair body in the path of swing of the detent bar for positive locking engagement by the notch thereof, a connecting rod linked to the distal end of the detent bar and extending angularly thereto, a bellcrank pivoted on the chair body and having an arm attached to the connecting rod, a push-pull rod connected to the other arm thereof and extending through an aperture in a wall of the chair body and terminating in a grip piece whereby the detent bar is shiftable between looking and non-locking positions with respect to the aforesaid plate, and means for releasably retaining the push-pull rod in a set position.

4. The combination with a relatively stationary base, of a chair body, means for suspending the chair body over the base for oscillation relative thereof, and a locking device comprising a detent bar pivoted at one end to said base and having a notch removed from the pivotal point, a plate rigidly carried by the lower part of the chair body in the path of swing of the detent bar for positive locking engagement by the notch thereof, a connecting rod linked to the distal end of the detent bar and extending angularly thereto, a crank elemgit journalled on the chair body and having an arm attached to the connecting rod, and a handle carried by the crank element for turning the same to shift the detent in and out of locking engagement with the aforesaid plate.

JULES HELLER. 

